Installing Streaming Media Services
Windows Media Services
is an optional role server that must be downloaded and installed from
Microsoft. You can find the appropriate download package by browsing to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads
and searching for Windows Media Services for Windows Server 2008. The
site will provide information about installing the Streaming Media
Services server role using Server Manager. To begin the process, open
Server Manager, right-click Roles, and select Add Roles. The Streaming
Media Services role will appear in the list. (See Figure 1.)
The Streaming Media Services Role includes the following role services:
Windows Media Server
This option installs the basic Windows Media Services service and the
Windows Media Services console. You must select this option to be able
to stream audio and video to clients from the local server.
Web-Based Administration
Windows Media Services also includes an optional Web-based
configuration and management Web site that provides the same
functionality as the default Windows Media Services console. This
component requires the Web Server (IIS) server role to be enabled on the
local computer.
Logging Agent
This component works with Web servers to capture information about
audio and video streams. It requires the Web Server (IIS) server role.
If you install it on the same computer as the Windows Media Services
role service, you will need to change the HTTP port the Default Web Site
or the Logging Agent uses to avoid a binding conflict.
The Select Data Transfer
Protocols page provides options for which protocols will be enabled by
default. If you have previously installed the Web Server (IIS) server
role and have a Web server that is bound to HTTP port 80, you will be
unable to select the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) option. (See Figure 2.) You will be able to reconfigure and enable HTTP after the role addition process has completed.
In addition to these
role services, the Windows Media Services console provides features for
testing access to content by using Windows Media Player. To make Windows
Media Player available for use, you must install the Desktop Experience
feature, using Server Manager. This feature is optional, however, and
is not necessary if you do not plan to test media streaming on the local
computer running Windows Server 2008.
After you have
installed the Streaming Media Services server role on the computer, you
can use Server Manager to view additional details. To do this, expand
the Roles object and select Streaming Media Services. (See Figure 3.)
Any errors that have been written to the Windows event logs are
displayed in the Events section. The Resources And Support section
provides numerous recommendations related to the configuration and
deployment of streaming media.